Purported next-gen iPhone front panel has centered FaceTime camera

With Apple's next iPhone believed to be in production ahead of a fall launch, a picture claiming to show the device's front panel shows a centered FaceTime camera located above the earpiece.

The image was published on Monday by Taiwanese website Apple.pro (via Google Translate). While it's hard to tell the length of the display without a side-by-side shot, the accompanying report says the panel has a width identical to the current iPhone while the screen is slightly taller.

Aside from the taller screen and a slight move for the FaceTime camera, the front panel purported to be from a pre-release white iPhone looks largely unchanged from the current design, with space for a circular home button below the display and a proximity sensor to the left of the earpiece.

The original source of the images is a Photobucket account that previously obtained the rear panel for Apple's third-generation iPad before the tablet was announced. That person revealed that the new iPad would be slightly thicker than its predecessor, the iPad 2.

Leaked parts alleged to be from Apple's next iPhone come as the handset is said to now be in production. Over the weekend, another report said Apple's suppliers are building the next iPhone ahead of a fall launch, and that the handset will feature inlaid glass on the back, between top and bottom edges made of metal.

Industry watchers suspect that Apple will release the next iPhone in September or October, or about a year after the launch of the iPhone 4S. That launch window would allow Apple to take advantage of the lucrative holiday shopping season, which helped result in record breaking sales of the iPhone 4S at launch last year.

Multiple reports have indicated that Apple's next iPhone will feature a slightly larger 4-inch display, representing the first time Apple has ever changed the size of the iPhone's screen. The taller display is expected to feature a 26 percent larger 16-to-9 aspect ratio that would retain the ability for users to operate the device while holding it with just one hand.

One rumored aspect I especially like is the new position of the headphone jack. I've found that the current placement is quite cumbersome. When it's in my pocket, the iPhone has to be upright so that it's not sitting on top of the headphone plug. But when I take it out of my pocket from this position, it is upside down, so I have to rotate the iPhone in my hand to use it properly. This is quite a hassle when you need to check your phone intermittently while listening to music.

It will be interesting to see what they do with the UI if they in fact do stretch the screen to 4". If they expand the vertical resolution and keep the horizontal the same, they could possibly put a permanent notification or widget bar on the top or bottom. Or they could just obviously add another row of apps... but there's no fun in that!

True, I'm sure it will sell like hot cakes... but just my opine... 4" just seems a bit.. incremental/compromise?? I would like to see Apple compete directly with the Samsung G SIII- mano-a-mano. Keep the 3.5 'classic' and add 4.5 version with same resolution. Ah well, time will tell. In any case... the next iphone will sell millions.

True, I'm sure it will sell like hot cakes... but just my opine... 4" just seems a bit.. incremental/compromise?? I would like to see Apple compete directly with the Samsung G SIII- mano-a-mano. Keep the 3.5 'classic' and add 4.5 version with same resolution. Ah well, time will tell. In any case... the next iphone will sell millions.

I think 4 inches is good because it'll expand iPhone appeal a bit and it won't alienate current buyers who want a more compact phone. Even so I think there is room for an iPhone Nano.

I like that the new camera is centered, but I do wish they swapped the positions of the camera and the speaker. To get the impression that your chat partner is really looking at you, you want to get the lens as close as possible to the screen (or, ideally, somehow behind the screen).

As it is, Apple's products do much netter than the norm in this regard.

Cant wait for a 4"- Almost inevitable at this point with all the releases, rumors, pics, etc.

It'll be a day one for me- love the fact its longer and can't wait to see the new iOS on this device and what tricks they'll have up their sleeves.

Quote:

Originally Posted by boeyc15

True, I'm sure it will sell like hot cakes... but just my opine... 4" just seems a bit.. incremental/compromise?? I would like to see Apple compete directly with the Samsung G SIII- mano-a-mano. Keep the 3.5 'classic' and add 4.5 version with same resolution. Ah well, time will tell. In any case... the next iphone will sell millions.

No need to fragment the market. They don't want to sell 2 different iPhones. What do we do in 2 years? A 3.5, 4.5 2 yr old model, a 1 yr old, and current? 6 phones. The beauty about apple is they just have the "iPhone".

Friend: What did you buy?

Android Customer: An Android

Friend: What kind of android?

Customer: A Samsung

Friend: Which Samsung?

Customer: *Looks frantically for the name of phone*.......... the Galaxy

It will be interesting to see what they do with the UI if they in fact do stretch the screen to 4". If they expand the vertical resolution and keep the horizontal the same, they could possibly put a permanent notification or widget bar on the top or bottom. Or they could just obviously add another row of apps... but there's no fun in that!

I think permanent notifications/widget/multitasking bars would be tacky. Maybe they'll make the home screen more customizable and let users place apps where they want in the grid rather than just "adding another row." Maybe they'll just space out the rows a bit more?